Muddy Eyes
by PygmyMe
Summary: Travis first saw Katie in the reception of the special clinic. Well,to be honest he didn't see her. He heard her. He was Blind. She: ADHD. They help, understand, and protect each other. And of course, sooner rather than later; they fall in love. - A Traite One-Shot. warnings: mild swearing.


for: **Sweetly Fallen**

* * *

"You're fidgeting," Travis said tilting his head to the side. "Why?"

"You're about to go through major eye and brain surgery," Katie answered. Travis could hear her move around, her Converse clad feet tapping nervously at the floor. "That should be pretty self-explanatory."

Travis shakes his head from his spot on the hospital bed, "It really isn't." He directed his gaze to where her voice had come from, it was deeper and quieter from when they were younger. Of course, Katie had been six when they bumped into each other all those years ago. Her voice had been loud and squeaky, usually jumbled because of her ADHD. Energetic and slightly out of control; that was six year old Katie before Travis and, later, the Ritalin.

+x+

Travis had been blind since birth. He had no idea what sight was other than it kept people from bumping into things and hurting themselves. From what his younger brother told him; everything was a different 'color'. But Travis's five year old mind couldn't even comprehend what a 'color' was. He knew the clouds were meant to be white and the grass green. This information was the kind he stored in the back of his head, in hopes that one day, he'll be able to see these 'colors' for himself.

Sometimes he was jealous of his brother, he was always so curious, so happy about everything. There were times though, when Connor went quiet, and when Travis asked why, his dad said that he was drawing. That was the first thing he yearned to do, draw. He wanted to feel the colors and see the lines and shapes. Another thing he was jealous of his brother was because he didn't have to be careful of his steps. Travis couldn't see his feet, she had to be tentative when walking, learning to put one foot in front of the other. He grew accustomed to being slow, and quiet. The complete opposite of the girl in the waiting room who was being told to get off of the coffee table.

Being blind, did make Travis aware of his other sense though. Smells were stronger, and noises louder. He could tell what his mom was cooking from his upstairs bedroom, and his hearing enhancement made it harder for his brother to sneak up on him. The other thing he had was that Travis could sense moods quite easily. It came in handy since he could easily spot when a person was lying.

Katie Gardner, the little energetic girl who couldn't sit still for more than a minute, assaulted every one of those three senses to the max. It was surprising, even to Travis, that he actually liked it.

That day he had sensed Katie skip towards him, and he instantly leaned closer to his mom, afraid of the unknown.

"Why are you staring at the wall? Isn't it boring?" Katie's voice was loud, and eager.

"I'm not," Travis said. He was smart enough to understand that sometimes people didn't know he was blind and shouldn't upset himself straight away.

"Katie," a woman's voice called. "Leave him alone and come over here."

"But you are!" Katie argued, ignoring her mom's demand.

"Travis is blind sweetheart," Travis's mom explained. "He can't see anything."

There was a pause, then: "You can't even see me?" Katie wondered.

Then Travis felt air wave and wrap around in front of his face. "Are you waving your hands in front of me?" He giggled.

"How do you know that if you can't see?" Katie accused.

"Because I can feel the air, idiot."

"Travis!" His mom scolded. "You do not call people names, apologize!"

"It's ok," Katie replied, in a cheerful voice, "People call me that all the time because I've got like, learning difficulties and stuff." Travis frowned, then he felt the girl's attention turn back to him. "You have curly hair, can I touch it?"

Travis's nose scrunched but he nodded nonetheless, making Katie give out a giggle, "You're adorable!" She reached up and pulled at a curl lightly. "They're springy. Hey, Travis do you want to come play with me?"

Travis suddenly felt confident, which, he would soon learn, it was something that Katie's aura caused many people around her to feel. And he liked it.

+x+

Turns out Katie would be attending the same school as him the following year and they were front door neighbors. Suddenly, Travis's life wasn't so dark anymore. He enjoyed being dragged around by the loud girl, who appeared to not be afraid of anything. Katie was odd, but she was a lot of fun and never really stopped talking. The girl was a bit scatterbrained, so sometimes Travis wondered if she even realized she was still talking. But his mom had explained that her ADHD was what affected how loud and rowdy she acted.

He always wondered what Katie looked like, but still hadn't built up the courage to touch her face like he had done with his parents and brothers.

His older brother, Luke, had told him that she was 'an adorable little thing,' with brown eyes, and straight dark hair, always wearing a flower pin in her hair. Luke had told him that Katie would grow up to be an easy heart breaker. That made Travis even more curious to know what his friend looked like, with his hands at least. Although he'd rather with his own eyes.

+x+

When school started the two became inseparable. And they learned a lot more about each other.

Katie quickly learned that if she tugged too hard on Travis's hand while walking home, the younger would easily trip and skin his knees. In turn, Travis learned that Katie could become extremely forgetful if she was too excited, and understood that he shouldn't feel upset if she all of a sudden left him on the carpet to do something noisy.

Pretty quick 'understanding' became 'protection'.

Travis always grabbed at Katie's hand - less and less clumsy each time - saying that he needed help, when in reality, it was the other way around.

The teachers understood this too, so when Travis had become frustrated while learning Braille at school, they had to call Katie out of science class. She found Travis under the desk, hands covering his eyes.

"Travy! Don't cry! Please don't cry." She consoled, throwing her arms around him.

"I can't do it! It's not fair!"

"Yes you can! You've gotta be patient!" Katie shouted in response. "I've been trying to read for the past five years, and I still suck. But you won't Travy! You'll be able to read."

They remained under that desk for the rest of the day, Travis tucked into Katie's arms and Katie whispering sweet nothings into his hair.

+x+

By the time Katie turned 11 and Travis 10, she could read and write without much struggle. She was also much calmer, but that was all effects of the Ritalin. Travis hated it because it numbed the sparkle that made her his Kate. But the doctor's were please, Katie's mom was pleased, the teachers were please and there was nothing he could do about it.

In the five years they had been friends Travis learned to be free and wild and adventurous. He feared his blank world a lot less and even let Katie get carried away sometimes because it gave him a sense of excitement and adventure to follow. But now, under the drug's spell Katie was less carried away and Travis hated it. He also hated the Ritalin because Katie did, and if she felt so certain on an emotion Travis felt it to the same depth.

+x+

Sometime between Katie's 13th and 14th birthday Travis piped up and asked if he could touch her face. They had been laying outside on Katie's fenced trampoline.

"Kate?"

"Yeah..."

"What color are your eyes?"

"Brown, kind of like mud," Katie answered.

"And your hair?"

"Black."

It was quiet for a couple seconds. "Can I touch it?"

Katie didn't respond, instead Travis felt her sit up and take hold of his hands. She set them on her head where he began to trace the shape of her face. He felt her feather-soft eyelashes, the curve of her lips, the peak of her cheekbones - anything that gave him some kind of image that she was there. Beauty and all.

+x+

The next few years went uneventful, except when Katie turned 17 and got her first boyfriend, Daniel.

Travis hated him. He hated how Daniel took his Kate away from him. He hated how Daniel called her 'Kaitlyn' as if it made him sound more affectionate. But Travis knew that Daniel hated him too because Katie refused to go anywhere without her 'Travyboo'. And because she called him 'Travyboo' and Daniel, well, he was just Daniel. Not even Dan or Danny.

When the relationship was terminated Travis selfishly thanked Daniel in his mind while he held a sobbing Katie.

That night they ate two tubs of Ben & Jerry's, and Travis even allowed Katie to do his nails. Anything for her to be happy.

+x+

At 18, Katie's ADHD had calmed down. You wouldn't even be able to guess she had suffered from it. Luke had been right, Katie grew up to be a beautiful girl - and she broke many hearts as well, she only had eyes for a certain boy who basically didn't.

Travis was starting to realize he had feelings for his best friend too. It wasn't till his 17th birthday when they were spooning through a piece of strawberry cheesecake each, that he leaned over and kiss her. And she had kissed him back.

It was the best moment of Travis's life - that was until Katie leaned back in for a rerun.

Nobody was surprised when they informed them of their relationship. Luke had hugged him and whispered 'Good job buddy'. Connor had given him a high-five and had shouted 'Finally!'

+x+

Both of them went through the same college, Katie as a biology teacher and Travis as an exceptionally good artist.

When Travis turned 23, Katie had proposed. Not exactly traditional, but neither were they.

A three months before the wedding, Travis's doctor called excitement lacing his voice. He told him that there was a new gene treatment, that could reverse Travis's blindness if he wanted to try. It had so far restored full sight to 8/9 people in Germany and America who had Leber's Conginental Amaurosis like Travis did.

Travis went in to take the exams (without telling Katie, not wanting to give her false hopes). They took x-rays and ultrasounds of his eyes and brains. Two weeks later the results came in. He had a 85% chance of regaining 20/20 vision, 65% chance of only getting partial vision, and 5% chance of getting nothing. Travis swam in this new sense of hope and went back to his and Katie's house. He explained to her about the surgery and she took it all very calmly; wanting to know everything.

+x+

"It's more than that," Travis said. "I can tell."

"Don't worry about it Trav," Katie replied.

"But I have too."

"It's nothing, I'll tell you about it later."

Minutes later, he was sent into the surgical room, with an 'I love you' from Katie and a kiss for good luck.

+x+

Travis had to wear a blindfold for six weeks, meaning he could take it off a week before their appointed wedding date. He had completely forgotten about their little chat in the waiting room, and for that, Katie was thankful.

It was August when Travis was finally allowed to take off the cloth. He was seated in the doctor's office, Katie outside in the reception. At first all he could see was darkness but it wasn't the same darkness as before; soon that turned into fuzzy shapes and lines and Travis's eyes began to water - a mixture of pain and joy.

The first thing he did was ask what color was brown. The doctor had looked around but there had been nothing there for him to point out as did mention some other colors around the room though.

Finally the nurse cleared her throat, "Travis, there's someone out here who would like to see you."

Travis instantly got up, pain shooting through his head. The doctor had explained that it was to be expected, though. His mind still had to grow accustomed to the light.

The door opened and he looked down, wanting his first look of Katie to be perfect. "Travis..."

He looked up, slowly. And - wow, wow, wow, wow. Katie was-

"You're gorgeous. So fucking gorgeous." Katie giggled, and through her arms around him. "If that's what mud looks like, then wow."

There was a moment of silence where they just stood there holding each other. Soft giggle, sobs, and 'I love yous' escaping their lips.

They let go after a while and Travis saw, he saw, papers in her hands. "What's this?"

"Oh," she gave him a teary smile and handed him a picture in black and white. Travis couldn't read yet so she read the letter out loud; "Mrs. Stoll we are happy to inform you that your pregnancy tests came out as positive. You are two months in.."

Travis stared at the picture in his hands, he could make out the small limbs and his eyes watered even more. "Oh goodness Katie." He engulfed her in another hug.

+x+

A week later he was standing in front of the altar, looking out into the crowd. The Wedding March began to play and in came Katie, her 'muddy' eyes shining brightly.

* * *

There you go, another one shot by yours truly.

I've gotten many questions about prompts, and yes you guys can prompt me all you want. It usually speeds up my updating process on my chaptered fics anyways. So far I've gotten one other OC prompt that I'm working on.

Hope you like this one.

Review? Please.


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